Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 drakhyss Jul 07, 2009 13:48:43	I am a long time gamer, and recently wishing to get back into dnd, I no longer have any 3.0/3.5 books, so I'm looking towards 4th edition? Any news on Ravenloft or Dark Sun campaign setting?
#2 ranadiel Jul 07, 2009 13:55:02	Ravenloft currently looks like it will not be getting released as a seperate campaign setting in the near future as the core concept of it(the domains of dread) have been absorbed into the core 4ed coscmology. As for Dark Sun, there is speculation that it may be the campaign setting for next year, but it is entirely speculation at this point and is in fierce competetion with the theory that Dragonlance will be next year's setting. However it may very well end up that neither of them will end up being the setting. We should find out come gencon in about a month. Until then I would reccomend avoiding topics on the subject as the two sides are pretty much at each others throats at this point.
#3 Ore Jul 07, 2009 16:10:56	Yep, that they are. We really have no concrete information at all at this point.
#4 CCS Jul 07, 2009 16:37:36	Until then I would reccomend avoiding topics on the subject as the two sides are pretty much at each others throats at this point. And I'm not sure why. Afterall, by the time somethings reached them for "discussion" they don't really have a say in the matter. They aren't the ones drawing up the marketing plans, project budgets, commisioning art-work, doing the actual writing, etc etc etc. True, they might be seen as some vague representation of what the majority wants product wise, but even that's doubtfull as they're but a tiny minority of all the actual customers. On top of that, alot of the people arguing about it will: A) Likely be in the middle of some other campaign the day wichever setting hits the shelves, B) Will buy it regardless.... So I really don't see why they bother arguing so staunchly for one or the other.
#5 bydchon Jul 07, 2009 18:09:18	Was Ravenloft a successful campaign setting (financially and popularity wise)? In my experience, I was exposed more to Plane scape and Dark sun than Ravenloft or Forgotten Realms. Ravenloft did seem kinda interesting though...
#6 sepsis Jul 08, 2009 11:06:39	Was Ravenloft a successful campaign setting (financially and popularity wise)?... It ranked as one of their most popular and best-selling settings. Far outstripping both Dark Sun and Planescape. But I believe thats why Ravenloft was absorbed into the standard cosmology of 4e, it was too popular not to bring into the game as soon as possible and its "flavor" fits the idea of the "points of light" motif that drives all 4e settings. This (along with Open Grave) allowed them to give us Ravenloft.
#7 Grazel Jul 08, 2009 11:45:52	Ravenloft, Planescape, and Spelljammer have all been absorbed into the 4e core PoL setting. They were all closer to a 'meta setting' than a campaign setting anyway. In 4e campaign settings are entire cosmologies with the heroic campaigns starting off in the Natural World and branching out to the other planes as they progress in levels. Ravenloft has become Domains of Dread inside the Shadowfell that aren't connected to each other (at least currently none of the ones described are) so would be the equivalent of the dark lord sealing the borders. We may get more information on them, the possible 'creators' of the Domains (rather than the Dark Lord who is the center of the Domain) and even the vistani when the Shadowfell resource book comes out. Spelljammer so far we've only seen a generic spelljamming vessel and the Neogi in MM2. All the key prevalent BBG races of Spelljammer are aberrants from the Far Realm in 4e. This gave me the idea that in 4e there are no crystal spheres (at least in the sense of them in the original setting) and that the phlogiston IS the Far Realm. So maybe there are more powerful spelljammer vessels that rather than just travelling through a single cosmology can push to the Far Realm creating a bubble of 'sanity' and allow travel between Cosmologies. The aberrant races either exist in the fluid areas of the Far Realm that equate to the phlogiston or exist in their own 'cyrstal spheres' that represent anything from a single world to a entire cosmology and are pockets of stability in the insanity-producing chaos of the Far Realm. Planescape has been absorbed to the point that Sigil has had multiple references and will be the city detailed in the DMG2 designed for Paragon tier play. It's also considered like before a place that you could possible get anywhere including different cosmologies. Dark Sun isn't totally dead as we've had 1 article on them for 4e that gave some hazards that are dangerous desert plants from Athas. We will likely see Dark Sun at some point but it's unsure when.
#8 princemercia Jul 08, 2009 13:03:02	It ranked as one of their most popular and best-selling settings. Far outstripping both Dark Sun and Planescape. But I believe thats why Ravenloft was absorbed into the standard cosmology of 4e, it was too popular not to bring into the game as soon as possible and its "flavor" fits the idea of the "points of light" motif that drives all 4e settings. This (along with Open Grave) allowed them to give us Ravenloft. I agree with this. I feel this is the reason Ravenloft is in the core setting of 4e. Looking at it objectively, I think that within the next 3 years we will see at least campaign books, if not supplemental books covering all three. My reasons are because Dark Sun is pretty popular and some info teased about it as mentioned in the thread. Planescape will probably focus on the Outer Realms and possibly SpellJammer. Ravenloft will get a full book regardless. Maybe not right away because Dragon Lance needs to come out - IMHO. Ravenloft was too popular and has a lot to offer as a campaign setting- not just isolated adventures.
#9 Silver_Blaze Jul 08, 2009 13:35:46	Isn't Ravenloft more of a setting of settings more so than a cohesive campaign setting? The myriad amount of individual domains really don't seem to share a whole lot, which is why having them released as individual Dragon/Dungeon articles appeals to me so. I would always feel a Ravenloft CS would be imcomplete since the domains are limitless.
#10 williamhm75 Jul 08, 2009 13:53:13	Isn't Ravenloft more of a setting of settings more so than a cohesive campaign setting? The myriad amount of individual domains really don't seem to share a whole lot, which is why having them released as individual Dragon/Dungeon articles appeals to me so. I would always feel a Ravenloft CS would be imcomplete since the domains are limitless. I agree. Detailing the various domains of dread in dragon would be a good way of presenting the material.
#11 sepsis Jul 08, 2009 14:16:57	I agree. Detailing the various domains of dread in dragon would be a good way of presenting the material. And so far they (that is Dragon) have given us "Sunderheart" and "Graefmotte" (if they did any other "Domains of Dread" I missed them). But while these are cool, I want to see some of the "classic" domains brought in for us, not just new ones.
#12 Silver_Blaze Jul 08, 2009 14:24:57	And so far they (that is Dragon) have given us "Sunderheart" and "Graefmotte" (if they did any other "Domains of Dread" I missed them). But while these are cool, I want to see some of the "classic" domains brought in for us, not just new ones. I really hope the Domains of Dread articles becomes a monthly thing. We need them a heckuva lot more than we are getting them.
#13 darth_azalin Jul 08, 2009 16:58:12	Just give me an Azalin mini and the ability to have it as an avatar and things would be good for a bit ;) Just crop him off of War with Azalin bookcover.
#14 princemercia Jul 08, 2009 20:25:07	Isn't Ravenloft more of a setting of settings more so than a cohesive campaign setting? The myriad amount of individual domains really don't seem to share a whole lot, which is why having them released as individual Dragon/Dungeon articles appeals to me so. I would always feel a Ravenloft CS would be imcomplete since the domains are limitless. Well not really. Ravenloft has a continent of domains connected to each other also. The mists surround the whole land, but it was only the Dark Lords that were stuck in their 'domain' or prison as the case may be. PCs and other NPCs were free to travel back and forth (unless the Dark Lord closes the border.) The Dark Lords war against each other too and used the PCs if the could to be a part of their plots. The mini domains that floated in the mists are lesser Dark Lords. The Domain grows per how evil/powerful the Dark Lord became.
#15 Iale Jul 08, 2009 20:38:16	As a huge fan of Ravenloft, I can say that I'm fine that it's been incorporated into the Shadowfell as it has been. The entire concept was one which was intended to be "bolted on" to an existing setting. As it is in 4e, Ravenloft is now a core setting. Great. The only thing I lack are details. I would love to see a Ravenloft-focused supplement. Or, at *least* one Domain every other month in Dungeon. They don't need to be a huge mass of several dozen countries any more; they can be, but isolated domains can be dropped into any campaign easily. But please, please, please, more Ravenloft, in some form.
#16 princemercia Jul 08, 2009 21:08:12	As a huge fan of Ravenloft, I can say that I'm fine that it's been incorporated into the Shadowfell as it has been. The entire concept was one which was intended to be "bolted on" to an existing setting. As it is in 4e, Ravenloft is now a core setting. Great. The only thing I lack are details. I would love to see a Ravenloft-focused supplement. Or, at *least* one Domain every other month in Dungeon. They don't need to be a huge mass of several dozen countries any more; they can be, but isolated domains can be dropped into any campaign easily. But please, please, please, more Ravenloft, in some form. I would like a huge mass of several dozen countries myself...but that's my opinion